Fluid containing structure

ABSTRACT

A fluid containing structure including a horizontally disposed base member with means formed therein for positionally engaging the lower end of an upstanding endless wall. Seal and support means provided at the juncture of the lower end of the wall with the base member seals that juncture and structurally supports the wall.

States Pate [451 Sept. 10,1974

mte [191 Goettl et a1.

[ FLUID CONTAINING STRUCTURE 2,983,877 9/1959 [75] Inventors: Adam D.Goettl; Bruce A. Goettl, $32; 130th of Phoenix, AliZ. 3 439 3 2 4/ 9 9[73] Assignee: Amoy Research and Development 2 37 2 Co., Phoenix, Ariz.

[22] Filed: May 24, 1973 21 Appl; No.: 363,345

[52] US. Cl 4/172, 52/169, 52/247, [57] 52/295, 220/18 [51] lint.Cl..... E04h 3/16, E04g 11/04, E02d 27/01 [58] Field of Search 4/172,172.19, DIG. 9; 52/169, 758 J, 247, 259, 295, 297, 338, 322, 323, 744;220/18 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS the Wall- 2,289,6047/1942 Van Cott et a1. 52/295 7 /JO I h .& h l v-% 14 42 75 f u I -I: I;YI'I. 2. --t I "r Z, I 1. 16' 1 I -f I 4 I". J 46 134W H I "r ."J

Davis et a1. 220/18 Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert AssistantExaminer-Stuart S. Levy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Herbert E. Haynes, Jr.

ABSTRACT A fluid containing structure including a horizontally disposedbase member with means formed therein for positionally engaging thelower end of an upstanding endless wall. Seal and support means providedat the juncture of the lower end of the wall with the base member sealsthat juncture and structurally supports 3 Claims, 11 Drawing FiguresPATENIEB $5?! 01974 snmwa :III

PATENIEDSEPIOI974 v 38-33344 1 FLUID CONTAINING STRUC BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to containersand more particularly to low cost easily assembled fluid containingstructures which may be erected as a permanent installation or may beeasily dismantled.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is oftentimes desirable to erect alow cost substantially maintenance free fluid container which can bedismantled if desired or can be left as a permanent structure. Forexample, above ground swimming pools are usually dismantled at the endof the season to eliminate costly off-season maintenance and to allowthe space usually occupied by the pool to be used for other purposes.However, in some climates and in some par ticular installations it ismore desirable to leave the structure assembled.

A particular prior art structure commonly used as an above groundswimming pool, employs a suitably braced endless upstanding wall erectedon a preprepared ground surface. A plastic liner is assembled within thewall for containing the water. While this type of structure does providemeans for easy assembly and disassembly, it has several disadvantages.The plastic liner is particularly subject to leakage resulting fromweeds growing up through the bottom of the liner and from tears,punctures, and the like resulting from the normal activity of swimmers.Off-season damage to the liners resulting from improper storage oftennecessitates replacement of the liners. Cold weather causes the plasticmaterial to become stiff and brittle and the danger of tearing theliners at this time is particularly acute. It has been estimated thatthe average life of a liner of this type is two or three seasons.

In an attempt to devise a fluid containing structure not requiring theuse of a plastic liner, several methods have been tried with varyingdegrees of success. In general, a base structure, normally of concreteand having an endless upwardly facing trough formed therein, is employedand an endless wall is erected in an upstanding position within thetrough. Sealing of the annular junction between the lower end of theupstanding wall and the base structure is generally accomplished in oneof two ways. First, is to employ a curable caulking compound. If thecompound used for this type of a seal sets up as a solid nonresilientsubstance, wall vibrations due to fluid movement and normal laterallydirected forces will cause cracking and ultimate deterioration of thecompound. If the compound employed cures as a resilient material,dislodging often results from wall vibrations. The second type of sealcommonly employed in this type of above ground fluid container is aresilient gasket which has much the same problems as the above describedcurable resilient caulking compound.

The problems associated with the previously described caulking compoundsand resilient gasket have produced elaborate and expensive wallsupporting structures in attempts to minimize the effects of wallmovement.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a new and novel, low costfluid containing structure which overcomes some of the drawbacks of theprior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention disclosed, anew and useful low cost, reliable fluid'containing structure is providedwhich is particularly well adapted for use as an above ground swimmingpool.

The fluid containing structure of the present invention is disclosed intwo embodiments, the first being particularly well suited for use ininstallations intended for periodic dismantling. The second embodimentis best suited for installations of a more or less permanent nature.

The first embodiment of the present invention employs a resilient gasketto seal the joint between the wall and the base. The gasket engages boththe lower end of the wall and the base structure and is compressed intosealing and wall supporting engagement by a compression means. Thecompression means cooperates with a specific type of base structure tofixidly locate the gasket so that it cannot be dislodged, and alsoprovides structural support for the wall.

The second embodiment of the present invention employs a caulkingcompound which cures into a resilient substance in combination with asimplified wall supporting structure which prevents wall vibrations ormovements from dislodging the compound.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newand useful low cost fluid containing structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and usefulfluid containing structure which is easy to erect and may be easilydismantled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and usefulfluid containing structure which employs a special type of basestructure which cooperates with a resilient gasket and compression meansto seal and structurally support an upstanding endless wall erected onsaid base structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and usefulfluid containing structure which employs a base structure of a specialconstruction which cooperates with a curable resilient caulking compoundand a simplified wall supporting structure to seal and structurallysupport an upstanding endless wall erected on said base structure.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention, the variousfeatures thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fullyunderstood from the following description when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thefluid containing structure of the present invention incorporating thevarious features thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and illustratinga modification thereof.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2,3, and 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and illustrating amodification thereof.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the various features ofthe modification shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 andillustrating a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 8 and illustrating amodification of that embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the modification shown in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring more particularly tothe drawings, FIG. I illustrates a fluid containing structure 10 ideallysuited for use as an above ground swimming pool or fluid storage tank.

The tank 10 includes a horizontally disposed base 12 which may befabricated of cement, metal or any other suitable material. In theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 15, the base 12 is formed with asubstantially flat apron 13 circumscribing a raised platform 14 whichserves as the bottom of the pool or tank 10. A vertically disposedendless surface 15 forms the periphery of the platform and interconnectsthe apron 13 with the raised platform 14.

The surface 15 of the platform 14 serves as a structural support for anendless upstanding wall 16 and against which the wall is sealed to formthe base 12 and the wall 16 into a fluid tight structure as willhereinafter be described in detail.

The upstanding endless wall 16 may be formed of metal or any othersuitable material and is positioned on the base 12 so that its lower end18 is adjacent to and circumscribes the endless peripheral surface 15 ofthe platform 14.

A compressible resilient gasket 20 such as of rubber, Neoprene, or thelike, is interposed between the surface 15 and the lower end of the wall16. The gasket 20 may be formed of a plurality of segments or a singleelongated strip as desired.

Compression means 22 is positioned in contiguous encirculing engagementwith the outwardly facing surface 24 of the lower end 18 of the wall 16.The compression means is capable of being circumferentially reduced insize to exert an evenly distributed circumferential compressive force onthe lower end 18 of the wall 16 and on the gasket 20. This force willseal the junction between the surface 15 and the wall 16 andstructurally support the wall as will be described in detail.

The compression means 22 of this embodiment includes a plurality of'arcuately shaped draw band segments 26 the number of which isdetermined by the diameter of the tank 10 being erected. The length ofeach segment 26 is selected so that a gap 28 is provided between each ofthe adjacent segments as shown in FIg. 5. The gaps 28 are provided sothat the circumference of the compression means 22 may be reduced toapply the circumferentially compressive force as hereinbefore described.

The compression means 22, wall 16, and the gasket 20 are mounted to thesurface 15 of the platform 14 by draw means 30 which not only mountsthese elements but also provides means by which the diameter of thecompression means 22 is reduced to apply the above describedcircumferentially compressive force.

The draw means 30 includes a plurality of nuts 32, or internallythreaded sleeves, captively embedded within the surface 15 of theplatform 14 and an equal number of bolts 34. As best seen in FIG. 5, thenuts 32 are radially disposed in spaced increments about the endlesssurface 15 and are flush with that surface. The nuts 32 are preferrablyformed with an enlarged bottom 35, or inwardly disposed end, whichprevents the nuts from being pulled out of the surface 15.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 shows the bolts 34 passing throughhorizontally elongated slots 36 formed in the draw band segments 26,similarly formed slots 38 provided in the lower end 18 of the wall,through apertures 40 formed in the gasket and they threadingly engagetheir respectively aligned nuts 32.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 illustrates the bolts 34 as passingthrough the slots 36 of the draw band segments 26, through the apertures40 of the gasket 20 and into threaded engagement with their respectivelyaligned nuts. Thus, it may be seen that the wall 16 sits upon the bolts34 rather than the bolts passing through slots formed therein. Thisarrangement eliminates the formation of slots and will facilitateassembly.

Retainer plates 42 may be provided at each of the gaps 28 betweenadjacent draw band segments 26 to prevent the bands from becomingdisengaged from the specific draw means 30 located at the gaps 28.

It may now be seen that by applying the circumferentially compressiveforce as described above, lower end 18 of the endless wall 16 will betightly held against the surface 15, thus, the wall 16 is provided withsufficient structural strength to enable it to withstand the forcesapplied thereto by the fluid contained within the tank 10. It may alsobe seen that the gasket 20 will be compressed to form a fluid tight sealbetween the surface 15 and the wall 16 and the gasket will not besubject to dislodgement by virtue of the compression force and the bolts34 which pass therethrough.

While the above described structural details of the draw means 30constitutes the preferred form of that structure, it should be notedthat the same results could be achieved by captively embedding studs(not shown) and employing suitable nuts for threading engagementtherewith.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein a modified form of thepreviously described embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.In this modification, the base 12a is of a different configuration inthat the surface 15 of the platform 14 forms part of a trough 44 whichcircumscribes the platform 14 as opposed to the flat apron 13 of theprevious embodiment. A bottom surface 46 and an outwardly disposedvertical surface 48 cooperate with the surface 15 to form the trough 44into an endless upwardly facing structure having a U-shaped crosssectional configuration.

The gasket 20, as before, is interposed between the surface 15 and thelower end 18 of the wall 16.

Compression means 22a of this modification includes a resilientcompressible body 50, such as of rubber or the like, nestibly positionedso as to be in contiguous encircling contact with the outer face 24 ofthe lower end 18 of the wall 16, and also in contiguous contact with thebottom surface 46 and outer surface 48 of the trough. The compressiblebody 50 may be formed of an elongated strip of material having theopposite ends 52 thereof placed in abutting relationship as shown inFIG. 7, or if desired, may be made up of a plurality of shorter pieces(not shown). The compression means 22a also includes a plurality ofplates 54, each being of arcuate shape as shown in FIG. 7. The plates 54are positioned in an end to end relationship within the trough 44 atopthe compressible body 50.

Draw means 30a, of this modification, includes a plurality of nuts 32a(one shown) captively embedded within the bottom surface 46 of thetrough 44, and an equal number of bolts 34a. As seen in FIG. 7, the drawmeans 30a are radially disposed in spaced increments about the platform14 and are located within the trough 44 flush with the bottom surface 46thereof.

The bolts 34a pass downwardly through apertures 56 formed in the plates54 and through similar apertures 58 provided in the compressible body 50and are threadingly engageable with their respectively aligned nuts.

It may now be appreciated that tightening of the bolts 34a will pull theplates 54 downwardly and exert a compression force on the body 50. Thisforce will result in the body 50 applying a circumferentiallycompressive force on the surface 24 of the wall 16 causing it tocompress the gasket 20, and also provide the necessary structuralstability for the wall in essentially the same manner previouslydescribed.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 8-11 wherein further embodiments of thepresent invention are illustrated. In these embodiments a base 12b isemployed which is similar to the previously described base 12a in thatthe endless upwardly facing trough 44 is formed therein. The upstandingwall 16 is positioned within the trough 44 so that its lower end 18 isin contiguous engagement with the outer vertical surface 48 of thetrough.

A curable caulking compound 60 is placed within the trough 44 so as tobe in sealing engagement with the inner vertical surface 15, the bottomsurface 46 and with the inwardly facing surface 62 of the lower end 18of the upstanding wall 16.

The caulking compound 60 may be any of the well known substances which,upon curing, forms a resilient mass which is capable of absorbing forcesapplied thereto resulting from movements or vibrations of the upstandingwall.

The caulking compound 60 by its very nature acts as a seal 'only, thatis, it provides relatively little structural support for the upstandingwall 16. Therefore, a means for supporting the wall 16 is needed.

Wall supporting or tie-down means 64, FIGS. 8 and 9, are provided tosupply the necessary wall support as previously described. As shown inFIG. 9 one of the tiedown means 64 is provided at each of a plurality ofradially disposed spaced apart locations about the periphery of theupstanding wall 16. Each of the tie-down means 64 is connected to thewall 16 and is anchored within the trough 44 to prevent upward movementof the wall as will be described.

The tie-down means 64 illustrated in FIG. 8 is typical and is shown toinclude an elongated upstanding strap 66 which is positioned incontiguous contact with the external surface of the wall and istransverse to the circumference thereof. An inwardly facing hook 68 isformed on the upper end of the strap 66 for engaging the upper end 70 ofthe wall 16. An outwardly extending anchor lug 72 is formed on the lowerend of the strap 66 for anchoring the tie-down means 64 within thetrough 44.

The lugs 72 of the tie-down means 64 are positioned within radialnotches 74 formed to extend outwardly from the bottom surface 46 of thetrough. The straps 66 extend upwardly from their respective lugs 72 andmay be positioned within notches 75 formed in the outer surface 48 ofthe trough 44, otherwise the wall 16 may be allowed to deflect inwardlyaround each of the tie-down means.

An alternate form of tie-down means 64a is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and11 and is seen to have its anchor lug 76 extending inwardly into thetrough through a slot 78 formed in the upstanding wall 16. It should benoted that the anchor lug 76 may pass under the wall 16 instead ofthrough the slot 78. The lug 76 is formed by bending the end of thestrap 66 back upon itself so that the lug 76 is disposed at an acuteangle 80 with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the strap 66. Thelength of the lug 76 is selected to be longer than the width of thetrough 44 to provide an interference fit therebetween. Thus, the angulardisposition of the lug 76 plus the interference fit allows the lower endof the tie-down means 64a to be easily inserted into the trough and willcreate a bind when upward movement is attempted.

As seen in FIG. 11 the straps 66 of each tie-down means 64a areinterposed between the periphery of the wall 16 and outer surface 48 ofthe trough 44. This arrangement may include inwardly directed off-sets82 provided in the wall 16 at the locations of each of the tie-dowmmeans 64a. It should be noted that the previously described notches 75would accomplish'the same purpose or the wall may simply be allowed todeform inwardly as previously described.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear in anillustrated embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to thoseskilled in the art, many modifications of structure, arrangements,proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in thepractice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adaptedfor specific environments and operation requirements without departingfrom those principles. The appended claims are therefore intended tocover and embrace any such modifications within the limits only of thetrue spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. A fluid containing structure comprising:

a. a base having an endless upwardly facing U-shaped in cross-sectiontrough formed therein;

b. an endless upstanding wall having the lower end thereof positionedwithin the trough of said base in juxtaposed relationship with the outervertical surface thereof;

0. a caulking compound within the trough and contiguously sealinglyengaging the inwardly facing surface of the lower end of said upstandingwall, the bottom surface of the trough of said base and the innervertical surface of the trough of said base; and

d. a tie-down means provided at each of a plurality of spaced apartlocations about the periphery of said endless upstanding wall, each ofsaid tie-down means holdingly engaging the upper end of said upstandingwall and anchored within the trough of said base.

2. A fluid containing structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the troughof said base is provided with a radially extending notch at eachlocation where one of said tie-down means is located, and wherein eachof said tiedown means comprises:

a. an elongated strap positioned in contiguous engagement with theexternal surface of said upstanding wall and transverse to thecircumference thereof;

b. an inwardly facing hook formed on the upper end of said strap forengaging the upper end of said wall; and

e. an outwardly facing anchor lug formed on the lower end of said strapand extending therefrom into an aligned one of the radially extendingnotches formed in the trough of said base.

3. A fluid containing structure as claimed in claim 1

1. A fluid containing structure comprising: a. a base having an endlessupwardly facing U-shaped in crosssection trough formed therein; b. anendless upstanding wall having the lower end thereof poSitioned withinthe trough of said base in juxtaposed relationship with the outervertical surface thereof; c. a caulking compound within the trough andcontiguously sealingly engaging the inwardly facing surface of the lowerend of said upstanding wall, the bottom surface of the trough of saidbase and the inner vertical surface of the trough of said base; and d. atie-down means provided at each of a plurality of spaced apart locationsabout the periphery of said endless upstanding wall, each of saidtie-down means holdingly engaging the upper end of said upstanding walland anchored within the trough of said base.
 2. A fluid containingstructure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trough of said base isprovided with a radially extending notch at each location where one ofsaid tie-down means is located, and wherein each of said tie-down meanscomprises: a. an elongated strap positioned in contiguous engagementwith the external surface of said upstanding wall and transverse to thecircumference thereof; b. an inwardly facing hook formed on the upperend of said strap for engaging the upper end of said wall; and c. anoutwardly facing anchor lug formed on the lower end of said strap andextending therefrom into an aligned one of the radially extendingnotches formed in the trough of said base.
 3. A fluid containingstructure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said tie-down meanscomprises: a. an elongated strap positioned in contiguous engagementwith the external surface of said upstanding wall and transverse to thecircumference thereof; b. an inwardly facing hook formed on the upperend of said strap for engaging the upper end of said wall; and c. ananchor lug formed on the lower end of said strap and extending inwardlytherefrom below said upstanding wall at an acute angle with respect tothe longitudinal dimension of said strap, said lug having a lengthgreater than the width of said trough.